Instrument case



y 1965 w. P. GODLEY 3,184,647

INSTRUMENT CASE Filed Aug. 23, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 k I I "Mil l0 9 I "II/[11111111111110 N INVENTOR.

WILLIAM P. GODLEY ATTORNEY.

FIG.

May 18, 1965 w. P. GODLEY INSTRUMENT CASE Filed Aug. 25, 1960 FIG. 2

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WILLIAM F? GODLEY.

ATTORNEY.

y 1955 w. P. GODLEY 3,184,647

INSTRUMENT CASE Filed Aug. 23, 1960 I5 Sheets-Sheet I5 FIG. 3

mumm m z l iil INVENTOR. WILLIAM P. GODLEY ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,184,6d7 INSTRUMENT CASE William P. Godley, Hat'noro, 19s., assignor to Honeywell Inc, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 23, 1964), Ser. No. 51,316 7 (Ilaims. (Cl. 317-4161) This invention relates to a case which houses and protects the parts of an indicator or recorder for any one of a great number of variables, such as temperature, pressure, and the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide a case which securely protects an indicator or recorder and which, at the same time, renders the parts of the indicator or recorder readily accessible for connection to measuring instruments, or for repair or replacement.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a case which may be mounted on a panel or instrument board.

A better understanding of the present invention may be had from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away in vertical, longitudinal, cross section.

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical, transverse, cross section On line 2-2 of FIG. 1, as viewed in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is a rear elevation on an enlarged scale of the connectors forming a part of the conductor bridge.

Referring to FIG. 1, the invention comprises a case, generally indicated 1, having six sides. A door 2 is mounted at the front or left hand side, as seen in FIG. 1, on vertical pivots (not shown) in front frame 3. Front frame 3 may conveniently be die cast of aluminum. Rear frame 4 is also conveniently die cast of aluminum and has a rear panel 25 secured thereto by screws 26.

Referring to FIG. 2, upper corner posts 5 are alike and are formed of extruded aluminum. Lower corner posts 6 are also alike and are formed of extruded aluminum. Side panels 7 have their top and bottom edges rounded to fit with the rounded portions of upper corner posts 5 and lower corner posts 6, respectively. Top and bottom panels 8 have their left and right sides rounded to lit with the rounded portions of upper corner posts 5 and lower corner post 6, respectively. Connecting rods 9 pass through channels from front to back of the case 1 in the upper corner posts 5' and in the lower corner posts 6 and secure the case together by means of nuts 10 applied to the rear ends of rods 9.

Bracket 11 is secured to the left, lower, corner post 6 by nuts 11A and bracket i2 is secured to the right, lower, corner posts 6 by nuts 12 A. Stationary slides 13 are secured to brackets Ill and 12 by bolts 18 and nuts 19. Movable slides 14 are mounted on stationary slides 13 by means of a plurality of balls 15 interposed therebetween. Balls 15 are retained in spaced-apart relation by flat cages 16 having openings therethrough in which the balls are located. The front end of stationary slides 13 are struck over into tangs (not shown) which retain the balls 15 and the cages in from engagement with the removable front of the case. Slides 11.3 and 14 are generally C-shaped in transverse cross-section, as seen in FIG. 2.

As is seen in FIG. 1, movable slides 14 have, at the rear thereof, pins 2t) which secure buffers 21 of elastic material to the movable slides 14. Buffers 2i engage with a stationary portion 1? of case 1 when the movable slides 14 are in their innermost position. A chassis generally indicated 22, is located in case 1 and is movabiy mounted in movable slides 14 by means of axles 23 and rollers 24.

3,184,647 Patented May 18, 1965 "ice Case 1 carries, at the rear thereof, the terminal panel 27 of insulation which is secured to case 1 by screws 28. Mounted on terminal panel 27 are fuse contacts 29 (which support fuse lid) and connecting contacts 31. A plug 32 has contacts on it which bridge contacts 29 and contacts 33, respectively.

The conductor bridge, generally indicated 34, is provided to enclose and protect electrical connections from the stationary case 1 to the elements mounted on the movable chassis 2123. Conductor bridge 34 is formed of a stationary bracket 35 mounted on case 1. The rear section 36 has upper holes 37 in it and is mounted on bracket $55 by rear pivot 38. A. middle pivot 39 connects the middle section 49-41 of the conductor bridge 34 to the rear section 36. This middle section of the conductor bridge has a front portion 40 and a rear portion 41 connected together by middle pivot 39. Front portion 4t has a slot 42 in it and rear portion 4:. has a corresponding slot (not shown) in it. Screws 43 connect front portion 4th and rear portion 41 together.

An upper connector, generally indicated 44-, is mounted in front portion 4% and in rear portion 41 of the middle section of the conductor bridge 34. Upper connector 44* comprises a socket 45 of insulating material having a pair of ridges as in it. Ridges 46 lit in slots 42 in front portion 4t) and rear portion 41. Socket 455 carries in it contacts 47 having holes in the upper ends thereof in which holes are located the ends of rear cables 7d. Pins are located in holes in the lower ends of contacts 47. Cylinders 50 having upper, split ends surround the lower, outer ends of contacts 4'7.

A lower connector, generally indicated 52, is mounted in front portion 64 and in rear portion 65 of the front section of the conductor bridge 34. Lower connector 52 comprises a socket 5'3 of insulating material having a pair of ridges 54 on it. Ridges 54 fit in slots 66 in front portion 5 and in rear portion 65. Socket 53 carries in it contacts 5:; identical with contacts 47 and having holes in the lower ends thereof in which are located the ends of front cables '71. Contacts 55 have holes in the upper ends thereof. The lower ends of pins 49 are located in these holes in the upper ends of contacts The lower, split ends of cylinders St A (identical with cylinders 5h) surround the upper, outer ends of contacts 55.

Male jack screws, generally indicated 57, are located in holes in lower connector 52. Jack screws S7 are comprised of knobs 558 having shoulders 5% thereon and central holes longitudinally therethrough.

Pins 6t having screw threads 61 andshoulders 62 thereon are located in the central holes in screws 57 and are connected thereto by means of roll pins 63 which pass through knobs 53 and pins respectively.

Female jack screws, generally indicated 72, are located in holes in upper connector 44-. Jack screws 72 are composed of sockets '73, having shoulders 74 thereon and control holes countersunk therein. These holes contain screw threads which mate with the screw threads 61 on male jack screws 57. Female jack screws 72 have screws 75 projecting from the upper ends thereof through holes in upper connector 44 and attached thereto by nuts 76.

Conductor bridge 34 has a front or chassis section comprised of a front part 64 and a rear part 65 having slots 66 therein to receive the ridges 54 on lower connector 52 therein, Screws 6'7 connect front part 64 and rear part 65 together. A front pivot 68 connects front part a4 and rear part 65 to a bracket 69 on chassis 22.

Rear cables 70 connect stationary contacts 29 and 33 with contacts 4-7 in upper connector 44. Contacts 55 in lower connector 52 are connected by means of front ans-see? w cables 71 with the various electrical elements of the indicators and recorders which are connected on chassis 22. A number of electrical elements, such as relays A, are mounted on terminal panel 27 by means of plug-in connections (not shown). Electrical elements, such as servo motors, are mounted on a module B on chassis 22 by means of plug-in connections (not shown).

The operation of this case arrangement is as follows. In the drawings, the case and chassis are shown in closed position. If it is desired to slide the chassis 22 into place while the chassis remains supported by the case, the door 2; is turned on its vertical hinges. The chassis 22 may then be pulled forward through front frame 3 by means of the rollers 24 on the movable slide 14 and the stationary slides 13. When the chassis 22 is pulled forward or to the left, as seen in FIG. 1, the chassis sections 64 and 65 of the conductor bridge 34 pivot about the front pivot 625 at their lower ends. The middle sections tit and 41 of the connector bridge 34 pivot about the middle pivot 39. Rear section 36 of the conductor bridge 34- pivots about the rear pivot 38. This pivoting action continues until the three sections of the conducting bridge are nearly aligned with one another in a horizontal plane instead of being in confronting relation with one another in a vertical piane, as shown in the drawings. The rear cables 7t? are trained about the rear pivot 38 and the middle pivot 39, respectively. The front cables 71 after leaving the terminals 72' on the chassis are trained about the front pivot 63. During the unfolding and folding operations of the conductor bridge 34, the cables 7t? and '71 are enclosed by and protected by the conductor bridge.

I claim:

1. An instrument including, a rigid case, a chassis slideably mounted in said case, terminals mounted in said case, terminals mounted on said chassis, electric cables connected in said case and to said terminals on said chassis, and a conductor bridge surrounding and protecting portions of said cables and pivoted to said case and to said chassis and having a pivot intermediate the pivot between said conductor bridge and said case and the pivot between said conductor bridge and said chassis.

2. In an instrument, a rigid case, stationary slides mounted in said case, a chassis mounted for sliding movement with relation to said case while supported by said case, rollers on said chassis supported by the stationary slides on said case, terminals in said case, terminals on said chassis, cables connected to the terminals in said case, cables connected to the terminals in said chassis, connectors joining the free ends of said cables together, a conductor bridge surrounding and protecting parts of said cables, a pivot between a portion of said conductor bridge and said case, a conductor between a portion of said conductor bridge and said chassis, and a conductor between portions of said conductor bridge and intermediate said first mentioned pivots.

3. An instrument, including, a case formed of a rigid front frame and a rigid rear frame, elongated corner posts connecting the corners of said front frame and the corners of said rear frame together, side and top and bottom panels having curved portions inter-fitting with curved portions of said corner posts, slides mounted in said case, a chassis mounted for movement relative to said case and supported by said case, rollers on said chassis supported by said slides, electric cables connected to said case and to said chassis, a conductor bridge surrounding and protecting portions of said cable, a pivot between a portion of said conductor bridge and said case, a pivot between a portion of said conductor bridge and said chassis, and a pivot between portions of said conductor bridge intermediate said first mentioned pivots.

4. In an instrument, a case comprising a rigid front frame, a rigid rear frame, a door pivoted in said front frame, rigid corner posts connecting the corners of said front frame and the corners of said rear frame, side and top and bottom panels having curved portions interfitting with curved portions of said corner posts, rods connecting said front frame and said rear frame together, stationary slides mounted in said case, movable slides mounted in said stationary slides, balls between said stationary and said movable slides, a chassis mounted for movement relative to said case while supported in said case by said balls, rollers on said chassis cooperating for rolling movement with said movable slides, electric cables mounted on and insulated from said case and said chassis, and a conductor bridge surrounding and protecting portions of said electric cables, a pivot between a portion of said conductor bridge and said case, a pivot between a portion of said conductor bridge and said chassis, and a pivot between portions of said conductor bridge and intermediate the pivot between said bridge and said case and the pivot between said bridge and said chassis.

5. An instrument, including, a case comprising a rigid front frame, a rigid rear frame, rigid corner posts connecting the corners of said frames and having longitudinally extended rounded portions, side and top and bottom panels having rounded portions interfitting with the rounded portions of said corner posts, rods connecting said front frame and said rear frame together, stationary slides mounted on said chassis, balls mounted on said stationary slides, movable slides mounted on said balls, cages retaining said balls in spaced-apart position, a chassis mounted in said case for movement relative to said case and for support by said case, a pivot connected on said case, a pivot connected on said chassis, a conductor bridge section pivoted on said case, a conductor bridge section pivoted on said chassis, a pivot bet-ween said conductor bridge sections and intermediate the pivot on said case and the pivot on said chassis, electric cables mounted on and insulated from said chassis and trained over said pivot between said case and said conductor bridge and between the sections of said conductor bridge, and over the pivot bet-ween said conductor bridge and said chassis.

6. An instrument, including, a rigid door, a rigid front frame, a rigid rear frame, rigid elongated corner posts having rounded portions extending longitudinally thereof, flat side and top and bottom panels having rounded edges interfitting with the rounded portions of said corner posts and providing the sides and top and bottom of said case, rods connecting said front frame and said rear frame together, a chassis mounted for sliding movement in said case and for support by said case, stationary slides mounted in said case and extending from the front to the rear thereof, balls mounted in said slides, cages retaining said bails in spaced-apart relation, movable slides mounted on said balls, rollers on said chassis mounted on said movable slides, ibuifers mounted on the rear ends of said movable slides for engagement with said case, a terminal panel mounted in said oase, terminals mounted on said terminal panels rear electric cables connected to said terminals, a rear pivot mounted on said case, the conductor bridge having a rear section mounted on said rear pivot, said conductor bridge having a middle section pivoted to a movable portion of said rear section, an upper connector mounted in and carried by the middle section of said conductor bridge, said conductor bridge having a front or chassis section, a pivot between said chassis and said chassis section of said conductor bridge, a lower connector mounted in the chassis section of said conductor bridge, rear electric cables in said case, connections between upper connector and said rear electric cable, front electric cables in said case, and connections between said lower connector and said front electric cables, said electric cables being trained over said rear pivot, said middle pivot and said front pivot.

7. An instrument, including, a case, a chassis movable within said case, stationary slides carried by said case, movable slides carried by said chassis and cooperating with said stationary slides and supporting said chassis for sliding movement in said case, a rear pivot mounted on said case, a hollow pivotally-connected conductor bridge,

comprising, a rear section mounted on said rear pivot for pivotal motion, a middle section having a front portion and a rear portion having s lots therein, a middle pivot connected to said rear section and to said middle section, an upper connector of insulating material having ridges on it fitting in the slots in said middle section, a lower section of said conductor bridge pivotally connected to said chassis and having front portion and a rem portion having slots therein, a lower connector of insulating material having ridges on it fitting on the slots in said lower section, said conductor bridge being adapted to assume a portion in which said sections are aligned with each other in confnonting relation in a vertical plane and to be drawn from said position when movement of said chassis and to assume a position in which said sections are nearly aligned with each other in a horizontal plane, rear electric cables in said case, connections between said upper connector and \said rear electric cables, front electric cables in said case, connections between said lower connector and said front electric cables, said electric cabies being trained over said rear pivot, said middle pivot, and said front pivot, and contacts in said upper and lower connectors and each attached to one of said electric cables and to another contact to provide electric connection between said rear electric cables and said front electric 03113168.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,487,457 3/24 Haferneister 317-121 1,761,704 6/30 Bryce -1 317-103 2,000,080 5/35 Hoye 317-103 2,324,543 7/43 Scott 317-99 2,426,502 8/47 Haupt 174-69 X 2,434,918 1/48 Gall 317-101 2,789,024- 4/57 I-Ieisler 317-101 2,889,179 6/59 Gussack 312-339 X 2,918,845 12/59 Fleming 339- FOREIGN PATENTS 702,953 2/41 Germany. 189,261 3/57 Austria.

JOHN F. BURNS, Primary Examiner.

SAMUEL BERNSTEIN, Examiner. 

1. AN INSTRUMENT INCLUDING, A RIGID CASE, A CHASSIS SLIDEABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CASE, TERMINALS MOUNTED IN SAID CASE, TERMINALS MOUNTED ON SAID CHASSIS, ELECTRIC CABLES CONNECTED IN SAID CASE AND TO SAID TERMINALS ON SAID CHASSIS, AND A CONDUCTOR BRIDGE SURROUNDING AND PROJECTING PORTIONS OF SAID CABLES AND PIVOTED TO SAID CASE AND TO SAID CHASSIS AND HAVING A PIVOT INTERMEDIATE THE PIVOT BETWEEN SAID CONDUCTOR BRIDGE AND SAID CASE AND THE PIVOT BETWEEN SAID CONDUCTOR BRIDGE AND SAID CHASSIS. 